The 2020 NFL Draft is now just a day away, and teams are finalizing their big boards and making phone calls and trying desperately not to be the team that screws up and misses a pick due to a bad internet connection during the virtual draft.
As is often the case, the offensive players are the headliners going into the Draft, with buzz about quarterbacks, offensive tackles, and the deepest receiver class maybe ever. However, there are some special defensive players and we’ll begin our look at the best of those guys available with a look at the defensive tackle class that features a clear top-10 talent, another first-round lock, and some quality depth in the mid-rounds.
Tier 1
Derrick Brown: As good of a defensive tackle as you will find in the draft. Brown plays with a nastiness and an edge to him that all the great defensive linemen have. But like the best guys at that position, he is in total control of that edge at all times, never finding himself in positions where he’s losing his head. His hands are active, he takes pride in pushing back offensive linemen, and he has the versatility teams love, lining up anywhere on the line and winning 1-on-1 battles with linemen. Read our interview with him here.
Tier 2
Javon Kinlaw: Kinlaw’s backstory will, rightfully, get a lot of play on Thursday night as he’s fought from homelessness to a first round pick. At South Carolina, he trimmed down to as light as 295 after starting school at 345 and has built himself back up to 324 and is a tremendous physical specimen. He’s got more length than is typical at DT (6’5 with 35 inch arms) and that can at times lead him to get a bit too tall, but when he stays low and keeps his leverage he is dominant. He’ll be a mid-first round pick and, as Will Muschamp recently told us, he believes his best football is ahead of him.
Tier 3
Ross Blacklock: TCU is going to have quite the draft, and Blacklock could be among the Horned Frogs to hear his name called on Thursday night — and if not, early on Friday. He’s an explosive athlete and at his best attacking upfield — nine of his 40 tackles last year were for a loss. At 290 he’s not the biggest tackle and isn’t a huge force against the run, but he can shoot gaps and wreak havoc in the backfield.
Neville Gallimore: Gallimore impressed during his senior campaign in Norman, and as such, his name is one to watch a little later in the first round. He plays hard, battles on every play, and kept improving during his time at Oklahoma, a place where it can be awfully hard to get better and better as a defensive player. Ran an impressive 4.79 40 after coming into the combine at 6’2 and 304 pounds. Best football might be ahead of him, but questions exist about his ability to eat up space along the defensive line.
Justin Madubuike: The Texas A&M product produced great numbers in College Station, and while he’s undersized he has some serious athleticism (4.83 in the 40) and quality strength (31 bench reps). Like the guys in front of him in this tier, his best skill is getting off the ball and attacking upfield to get into the backfield (11.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks). He might fall to late Day 2 or even Day 3 due to size, but he’s got skills and production. He might start out playing in specific packages where he’s unleashed to attack upfield rather than trying to fill gaps and stack up the line, but in the right position he could be impactful.
Raekwon Davis: We’re high on Davis, betting on his talent and the flashes of brilliance we saw at Alabama. As a sophomore, the big man registered 69 sacks with 10 TFLs and 8.5 sacks, and at 6’6 and 311 pounds, he has the size and strength you want to play defensive tackle in the NFL. The question: What the hell happened in his junior and senior campaigns, where he put up decent tackle numbers (55 and 47, respectively) but had 8.5 TFLs and two sacks total in two years? May be better against the run than the pass, which is perfectly fine, but limits what he can be in the league.
Davon Hamilton: An interesting player, one who projects out to being a load against the run and someone with the power to sometimes get into the backfield against the pass. The questions are that of sample size — he hasn’t played a ton of snaps in five years by nature of Ohio State being a defensive lineman factory — and whether or not he’ll ever be more than a powerful DT. Came in at 6’4 and 320 at the combine, while his 33 reps on the bench were the most of any player at his position. Had only 28 tackles as a senior, but accrued 9.5 TFLs and six sacks.
Tier 4
Leki Fotu: I love Utah guys, as has been established, and Fotu fits the bill of a tough, physical Kyle Whittingham guy. He’s a massive man at 6’5, 330 and likely projects as a 3-4 nose, but he’s got good athleticism and was very productive for a good Utah defense. He’s not a twitchy athlete or the quickest, but he’s huge and strong and can fill gaps and stop the run.
Rashard Lawrence: Came to LSU as a five-star but did not turn into a centerpiece of the Tiger defense. A good player, though, who put up decent numbers in four years — 120 tackles, 20.5 TFL, nine sacks — and plays with urgency at all times. If he can build on that and mix in consistently good play diagnosing and technique, he could end up being a very nice pick for a team on day two or three. Has dealt with a bad ankle and needed knee surgery.